Machine Gun Kelly Delivers Emotional "Lonely" Performance For SNL Debut

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Machine Gun Kelly reveals that he faced last-second technical difficulties before performing "Lonely" on SNL.

Never would I have thought that Machine Gun Kelly would perform on Saturday Night Live.  It's a testament to his hustle throughout his career coming up from the Midwest to earning a coveted spot on the Bad Boy roster at the top of the decade. His profile has blown up since then with the inclusion of high-profile celebrity romances and his infamous feud with Eminem that led him down a path of pop-punk.

Despite what you think of him, MGK has truly hustled his way to the top, even if his music has gotten increasingly questionable over the years. Last night cemented his star status with his debut on Saturday Night Live. Though he and his buddy Pete Davidson didn't share a moment on camera together, Machine Gun Kelly came through with an emotional performance of his single, "Lonely." Many may have been wowed by the outcome but the rapper revealed that he faced some technical difficulties moments before.

"10 seconds before we played “lonely” on SNL, they came up and said the whole lighting board and set up we had for the performance crashed. so we just had a spotlight and the music, that was the best thing that could’ve happened," he explained on Twitter. Evidently, fans still loved the performance and many expressed how proud they were of his glow-up. 

It's interesting how after 10+ years of hustling as a rapper, it was his foray into pop-punk that opened up the doors to one of the biggest platforms that late-night television has to offer. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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